MARKMAN
21-06-2007, 08:13
Went to see Riders on the Storm last night, the group made up of Ray Manzarek and Robby Krieger - doing Doors tracks. First off, this gig ain't cheap - £30 on the door at the Corporation in Sheffield. However, it was absolutely worth every penny. Just to hear the guys that wrote the music not only playing it but going off and having a wild time with it was an amazing experience.
It was a shame that Ian Astbury wasn't singing with them last night, it was some guy called Brett Scallions - he was o.k., but a little bit of a standard rock star. He was the only one who could have dragged you into thinking you were watching a tribute band. However, last night wasn't necessarily about the singing for me - don't get me wrong the guy does an admirable job - but I was there to listen to the music.
Watching Krieger and Manzarek is a little bit like watching a couple of embarrassing dad's get up on stage, however once they start to play all fears are quashed. These guys haven't lost it - not one bit. They were sharp, intense, fun and a whole raft of other emotion that perfectly fitted whatever mood they were trying to create at the time.
I think that, perhaps wrongly, Manzarek was the 2nd biggest name in the doors and it really was a pleasure to listen to him play However, as a guitarist I was there for a main reason - Robby Krieger. This guy was technically awesome from sweeping arpeggio's to finger picken blues/rock to flamenco to some wicked tapping this guy, (who now looks like he might work in an office in some non-descript clerk's job) made the guitar truly sing.
The haunting melodic swirls and punching bluesy rock licks that typify any Doors track were all there and all being played by the original guitarist. This was a major thing for me, it meant that I wasn't listening to someone's interpretation of Krieger's work, I was actually listening to the creator himself -whenever he went off and noodled I knew it wasn't someone noodling in the style of Krieger, it was pure unadulterated Krieger.
Seeing Krieger and Manzarek performing together was something that I never thought I would see, now I have and I feel like a part of my musical jigsaw can now be put into place.
Now, finger's still crossed for a Brotherhood of Man reunion:nuts:
It was a shame that Ian Astbury wasn't singing with them last night, it was some guy called Brett Scallions - he was o.k., but a little bit of a standard rock star. He was the only one who could have dragged you into thinking you were watching a tribute band. However, last night wasn't necessarily about the singing for me - don't get me wrong the guy does an admirable job - but I was there to listen to the music.
Watching Krieger and Manzarek is a little bit like watching a couple of embarrassing dad's get up on stage, however once they start to play all fears are quashed. These guys haven't lost it - not one bit. They were sharp, intense, fun and a whole raft of other emotion that perfectly fitted whatever mood they were trying to create at the time.
I think that, perhaps wrongly, Manzarek was the 2nd biggest name in the doors and it really was a pleasure to listen to him play However, as a guitarist I was there for a main reason - Robby Krieger. This guy was technically awesome from sweeping arpeggio's to finger picken blues/rock to flamenco to some wicked tapping this guy, (who now looks like he might work in an office in some non-descript clerk's job) made the guitar truly sing.
The haunting melodic swirls and punching bluesy rock licks that typify any Doors track were all there and all being played by the original guitarist. This was a major thing for me, it meant that I wasn't listening to someone's interpretation of Krieger's work, I was actually listening to the creator himself -whenever he went off and noodled I knew it wasn't someone noodling in the style of Krieger, it was pure unadulterated Krieger.
Seeing Krieger and Manzarek performing together was something that I never thought I would see, now I have and I feel like a part of my musical jigsaw can now be put into place.
Now, finger's still crossed for a Brotherhood of Man reunion:nuts: